1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for refilling liquid into a liquid reservoir container arranged on the liquid supply path of a liquid jet recording apparatus. The invention also relates to a liquid jet recording apparatus using such method, a liquid refilling container, a liquid reservoir container, and a cartridge.
2. Related Background Art
For the method for supplying liquid to a liquid jet recording apparatus that records by discharging liquid (ink) onto a recording medium, it is required to form menisci appropriately at the discharge ports of the recording head, and also, to perform a stabilized supply of liquid, among some others. As a liquid supplying method that satisfies these conditions, the applicant hereof has proposed a structure with the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 7-125232 that a porous element is inserted into a part of a container (an ink tank) that contains ink.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ink tank that utilizes the proposed structure described above. The interior of the ink tank 1101 is divided into two spaces by means of a partition wall 1103 provided with a communicating unit 1102. One of the spaces is closed with the exception of the communicating unit 1102 of the partition wall 1103. This space is made an ink reserving chamber 1104 capable of holding liquid (ink) as it is without any other members mixedly present. The other space is made a negative pressure generating member housing chamber (an air communication type liquid containing chamber) 1106 that contains a porous negative pressure generating member 1105. On the wall surface that forms this negative pressure generating member housing chamber 1106, there are formed an air communication port 1107 for inducting the air outside along the consumption of ink, and a supply port 1108 for supplying ink to the recording head unit.
With a tank structure of the kind, the air is induced into the negative pressure generating member housing chamber 1106 through the-air communication port 1107 when ink in the negative pressure generating member 1105 is consumed as ink is discharged from the recording head. Then, ink flows into the ink reserving chamber 1104 through the communicating unit 1102 of the partition wall 1103. On the other hand, ink is filled into the negative pressure generating member 1105 in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber 1106 from the ink reserving chamber 1104 through the communicating unit 1102 of the partition wall 1103. Therefore, even when ink is consumed by the recording head, ink is filled to the negative pressure generating member 1105 in accordance with the amount of ink that has been consumed, thus allowing the negative pressure generating member 1105 to retain a specific amount of ink. In this way, the negative pressure to the recording head is kept at a substantially constant level, making it possible to stabilize the ink supply to the recording head.
Particularly, as disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-40043, it is possible to attain an ink supply in a better condition by making an arrangement so that a path for the air induction (an air induction groove) is provided near the unit that communicates the negative pressure generating member housing chamber with the ink reserving chamber.
For a container (an ink tank) of the kind, which is structured as described above, there is known, among others, a method for refilling ink when ink in the ink reserving chamber becomes short as disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-226990 filed by the applicant hereof, for example, wherein a plug is arranged in the upper part of an ink reserving chamber, and the plug is open before the amount of ink in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber becomes lower than a given amount, and then, ink is injected from the aperture thus arranged into the interior of the ink reserving chamber by use of a syringe or the like or a method for dividing the ink reserving chamber into two chambers one of which is made exchangeable, and replacing the completely used ink reserving chamber with a new one before ink in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber becomes lower than a given amount along the ink consumption.
The liquid container (an ink tank) described above satisfies ideal conditions as a method for supplying ink, and also, with the provision of such container, a stabilized liquid refilling is materialized for the suppliance of liquid to the container described above by refilling liquid before the liquid in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber becomes lower than a given amount.
However, with more ideal conditions in view as to the suppliance of liquid, it is desirable to make the numbers of locations, conditions, and the like as small as possible, and to fulfill the requirements with a simpler structure in such a manner as to make liquid suppliable while a container is installed on a recording apparatus as it is or to make liquid suppliable without restrictions on the posture of a container whose content should be refilled.
Also, as to the ink refilling operation, it is demanded not only to execute the intended refilling in a short period of time, but also, to execute it smoothly. For example, as regards the method disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-226990 described above, wherein an ink reserving chamber is divided into two, and one of them is made exchangeable, it is necessary to optimize the size of the aperture that connects the divided chambers in order to make the liquid refilling smoothly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for refilling liquid capable of refilling liquid into a liquid reservoir container smoothly with fewer restrictions and in a shorter period of time.
It is another object of the invention to materialize the method for refilling liquid described in the preceding paragraph, and to provide at low costs a liquid jet recording apparatus, refilling kit, and the like, capable of performing stabilized liquid supplies.